Travel Tip

Before the tour starts, spend a few nights in London or Oxford and then take the train from London Paddington or Oxford to Hanborough station. You may wish to stay in Woodstock the night before, near to Blenheim Palace. We recommend you arrive in the U.K. at least 1 day early to get over jet-lag!

We meet at 11.00  in Woodstock (usually at The Bear Hotel). There are good connections from London Paddington station and Oxford. After loading the luggage into the minibus, we walk into the Blenheim estate, one of England’s largest houses, a UNESCO World Heritage Site (1987) and the only non-royal, non-episcopal country house in England to hold the title of palace! We visit Blenheim Palace and the magnificent park landscaped by Capability Brown. Tour the Palace of the Dukes of Marlborough where Sir Winston Churchill was born and walk around its stunning formal gardens, rock gardens and grounds. It is a magnificent day out!

Gentle Walking: 3hrs / 4 miles/ 6.5km

Meals: Dinner

Lunch independently - Blenheim has a tasty food hall.

We visit the delightful, bustling town of Stow-on-the-Wold with time to admire antiques and do a little shopping. Then we descend an escarpment to reach an old mill listed in the Domesday Book. With the sound of a rushing stream in our ears, we continue through Lower and Upper Slaughter and admire how exquisitely the many thatched cottages and gardens are kept. A picnic lunch with some rest and then our walk leads us to the picturesque village of Bourton-on-the-Water with its eccentrically built miniature model of the village.

Walk: 4hrs/8miles/12.5km

Meals: Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner

A beautiful long walk starts at the Wool Town of Northleach and winds through quaint hamlets and sleepy villages with beautiful gardens, crossing meadows and woodland with wildflowers in abundance. We picnic at Yanworth before continuing on foot to our destination which lies close to the Fosse Way. This Roman Road was built during Caesar’s invasion of Britain. At Chedworth in the sleepy Coln valley, we find the ruins of England’s finest Roman Villa. Time to enjoy the extensive excavations and pictorial mosaic floors.

Walk: 5hrs/10miles/16km

Meals: Breakfast / Lunch

From the immaculate little village of Broad Campden we cross fields and go over Hangman’s hill to reach the village of Blockley for a picnic lunch and then, climbing the Cotswold escarpment, we pass through open fields to Moreton-in-Marsh stopping on the way at the Cotswold Falconry Centre to watch a world-class flying display.

Walk: 6hrs/12miles/19km

Meals: Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner

Walk and admire the honey-coloured stone cottages of Stanton village, along the famous ‘Cotswold Way’ path past Jacobean Stanway Manor to the majestic ruins of Hailes Abbey for a picnic lunch. After learning about the dissolution of the monasteries, cast your minds back to Tudor England life as we visit Sudeley Castle and its formal gardens where Katherine Parr, last wife of Henry VIII lived.

Walk: 4hrs/8miles/13km

Meals: Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner

We visit the pretty village of Broadway and walk up to Broadway tower for spectacular views and then across open farmland to descend into the market town of Chipping Campden where there is free time to explore and have lunch.

In the afternoon we walk to Hidcote Arts and Crafts garden in the north Cotswolds, a stone’s throw from Stratford-upon-Avon. Created by the talented American horticulturist, Major Lawrence Johnston its colourful and intricately designed outdoor ‘rooms’ are separated by walls or hedges with outstanding herbaceous borders that are always full of surprises.

Walk: 3.5hrs/7miles/11km

Meals: Breakfast / Dinner

In search of poetic inspiration, our first stop in Stratford-upon-Avon is at the 500-year-old half-timbered house that was the birthplace of William Shakespeare! We may be reciting lines now as we enjoy a delightful stroll through town to reach Anne Hathaway’s Cottage (Shakespeare’s wife) which is also steeped in history. From here we can walk along the quiet Stratford canal to the farmstead home of Mary Arden (Shakespeare’s mother) and watch them bringing in the geese.

Walk: 3-5hrs/6-10miles/10-16km

Meals: Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner

Departure after breakfast from our hotel at about 9.30 to drop off at Warwick Parkway station where trains go to London Marylebone station. .

Meals: Breakfast

If you wish, we can help you make other independent departure arrangements such as a bus/taxi to a London airport.